







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | |
| There's a whole 500g unopened packet. | |
| Normally, it's much more expensive than the other ones. | |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | |
| I live just opposite the pub. | |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | |
| That's why you can't find the answer! | |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | |
| I don't want to stay in this house anymore! | |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | |
| I mean, you look too young to be a teacher. | |
| Is your dog a Chow Chow? | |
| The rice section is over there. | |
| Hm, okay... I think I got it, is it like Pinocchio? | |
| I don't want to talk about this issue in this house. | |
| But I want to see Brighton Pier before the sun sets. | |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | |
| So 2017 minus 1841 equals... | |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | |